This study examined burdens of primary family caregivers of patients with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) along with related factors. In addition, their needs for support group intervention were assessed to develop a support group to reduce the burdens of caregiving. Eighty-one prirnary family caregivers of patients with CVAs at a general hospital in Seoul participated in this study. The patients with CVAs aged from 26 to 83 years with mean age of 63 years. About 90% of the patients had some paralysis and 56.6% suffered speech problems. Fifty-eight percent of the primary family caregivers were spouses of the patients and 80.2% were women. Primary family caregivers´ burdens were assessed by the Burden Scale originally developed by Zarit (1980) and Novak & Geust (1989) and modified by tang (1995) for use in Korea. The instrument consists of six subscales : time-dependent burden, developmental burden, physical burden, emotional burden, social burden, and financial bur-den. The results were as follows :
1. The average of burden score was 91.7, indicating moderate to severe level of burden. The time-dependent burden was scored highest followed by physical, developmental, social, financial, and Doctoral Student, College of nursing, Seoul National University P11,fessor, College of nursing, Seoul National Universityemotional burdens.
2. Of the characteristics of patients, age, gender, and severity of the disease were found to be associated with the level of burden. Of the characteristics of primary family caregivers, age and educational level were significantly related to the level of burden. Time of care since the CVA and the quality of relationship between a patient and a caregiver prior to the stroke were significant situational factors affecting the level of bur-den.
3. The need for support group intervention for the caregivers was very high (95.1%). The caregivers of patients who had a CVA for the first time showed higher levels of need compared to those of patients who had a CVA more than once. The caregivers indicated a support group held once a month near home or hospital would be welcomed. In addition, they replied that a group composed of 9 to 10 caregivers and guided by health care professionals (e.g., physicians and nurses) would be most desirable. More than 85% of the caregivers identified the areas that they wanted intervention in as follows : knowledge, skills, and resources to care for a patient with a CVA, the counsel of health care professionals, share of their experiences with those who have similar situations, stress management skills, and methods to overcome emotional isolation due to the great responsibility for a patient.
Given the results, support group is expected to be an effective way to reduce the burdens of primary family caregivers of patients with CVAs. As a follow up It is necessary to examine the effect of support group intervention on the patient´s recovery and re-habilitation.
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